Two deaths and eight injuries occurred in a traffic accident on Kwong Fuk Road, Tai Po last month (22nd). The injured are still hospitalized for treatment.
Good news has come from the injured mother and child recently. The mother's condition is stable, while the son's condition has changed from critical to serious.
Today (7th) the Tai Po District Council is discussing a serious traffic accident. It is hoped that various departments can improve the traffic safety issues at the location involved, the driver's license renewal system, and provide appropriate assistance to the affected citizens.
The Tai Po District Council held today (7th) to discuss the follow-up of the traffic accident on Kwong Fuk Road. The new chairman Mao Jiajun presided over the meeting.
At the meeting, many members were very concerned about the traffic safety of the area involved. Among them, some district members asked the department about the license renewal criteria for taxi drivers and the road safety of the accident site. Some district members urged the Social Welfare Department to continue to support the affected Citizens.
The Tai Po District Council held today (7th) to discuss the follow-up of the traffic accident on Kwong Fuk Road. The new chairman Mao Jiajun presided over the meeting.
(Screenshot of the live Facebook live broadcast of the Tai Po and North District Task Forces of the District Political Union)
The document sponsor Liu Yongwei pointed out that Kwong Fook Road is one of the bustling streets in the district. After the accident, it attracted public attention, including support for the injured and the families of the dead and injured, the progress of the investigation, and relevant suggestions for improvement in the design of the pavement where the accident occurred, and The number of traffic accidents on the road in the past 10 years, etc.
Liu Yongwei suggested that the authorities install anti-collision facilities and rubber pillars on the safety island to prevent vehicles from "tapping". There are also facilities to buffer when an accident occurs, so as not to directly collide with people and reduce the chance of injury.
(Information Picture/Photographed by Cai Zhengbang)
Advocate the installation of anti-collision facilities and rubber pillars on the safety island
In terms of road traffic safety, Liu Yongwei suggested that the authorities install anti-collision facilities and rubber posts on the island to prevent vehicles from "tapping". There are also facilities for buffering in the event of an accident, so as not to directly collide with people and reduce the chance of injury.
He believes that the Transport Department should not only use efficiency as the criterion, but also pay more attention to the psychological needs of the public. He pointed out that there are still many people who dare not pass the accidental road.
He Weilin and Chen Weijia asked about the license renewal criteria for taxi drivers. He Weilin believed that the accident was related to the driver’s personal driving attitude. He also mentioned that past traffic accidents were generally related to elderly drivers and worried about them. There are health problems that affect driving safety.
He described the current driver’s license renewal validity period is too long, up to ten years, so he hopes that the relevant departments can shorten the validity period and add a physical examination to the renewal criteria to assess whether the driver’s health is suitable for driving.
In recent years, taxi drivers often use their mobile phones to take orders while driving. He Weilin hopes that the police can step up efforts to combat and regulate these situations.
Chen Weijia believes that the current corresponding measures taken by the Transport Department against motorists are mostly soft and the criteria should be strengthened.
Some district councillors suggested that the driver's license renewal criteria should be improved.
(Profile picture / Photo by Luo Junhao)
Ou Zhenhao said that in addition to traffic safety in the area involved, the illegal parking of nearby traffic lanes also requires attention.
He mentioned that many taxis are parked at pedestrian crossings at night, making it difficult for the public to see whether there are cars passing by, which affects safety.
Parked cars sometimes even block nearby buses from boarding and unloading passengers, making the buses need to go outside, and the public get off in more dangerous places.
He hopes that the police will pay more attention to law enforcement in a timely manner to reduce the chance of accidents.
Police: Do not rule out accusing the driver of the accident with homicide or manslaughter
In response to enquiries, a representative of the Police Force stated that the current case is being followed up by the New Territories North Crime Squad, and it is hoped that the entire traffic investigation report can be completed before the trial in Fanling Magistrates' Courts on October 26.
According to the police, the arrested driver is 63 years old and has been a part-time taxi driver since December last year.
The arrested driver has a driving license for more than 40 years and lives in Tai Po. It is believed that he is very familiar with the roads in the area. Therefore, the police do not rule out accusations against murder or manslaughter.
As for traffic accidents at the location of the accident and around Kwong Fuk Road, according to police figures, there were 765 traffic accidents in the past ten years (2011 to 2020).
There were 211 traffic accidents involving injuries, but none of them involved fatal traffic accidents involving death.
For potential traffic problems mentioned by members, the police will carry out special actions, such as installing roadblocks for surprise inspections and more inspections of the places mentioned above, and strengthening law enforcement.
Representatives of the Transport Department said that they had re-examined the accidental road section earlier.
According to the department, the crossing is a straight road with clear indications nearby, and the traffic lights also meet the standards. There is a total of 26 seconds for pedestrians to cross the road (green light for 13 seconds and green light flashing for 13 seconds). This section of the road is a seat belt.
The prescription understands the public's concern, so it will optimize the department after referring to the police investigation report, and consider the establishment of multiple protections.
According to the Department’s data, there have been three pedestrian accidents at the location of the accident in the past ten years, one of which was related to a bicycle user, but none of them were fatal.
At present, the Department has been carrying out different education work for the transportation industry and also provides free medical examinations for the industry.
For elderly drivers (over 70 years old), they will be required to provide a medical certificate to indicate that their body is suitable for driving.
The department also stated that under the current regulations, drivers are also responsible for determining that they are physically capable of driving vehicles.
Regarding the license renewal standards, the Department will conduct research with reference to the opinions of Members.
SWD: A full-time social worker has been provided to the injured and their families
The SWD representative expressed that he was very sad and concerned about the incident.
Upon learning of the car accident, medical social workers have been arranged to provide grief counseling and emotional support to the injured and the families of the dead and injured, and have been in contact with the relevant hospitals, Tai Po District Office and the Police Force to understand the latest situation.
The Department has arranged a full-time social worker for each case to assist the injured and the families of the dead and injured to tide over the difficulties and follow up their welfare needs. It also provides more in-depth psychological counseling services for the injured and the families of the dead and injured in need.
In addition, the department has also received donations from seven charitable organizations to provide emergency financial assistance to the injured and their families, and will assist them in applying for relevant emergency assistance funds, and try to coordinate as much as possible so that they can obtain financial assistance as soon as possible.
Part of the emergency aid fund has been distributed.
There are still 4 injured people in hospital. They are all being treated at the Prince of Wales Hospital. The social workers in the hospital visit them every day and continue to meet their needs.
The department hopes to act as an intermediary to help the affected citizens tide over the difficulties.
For other affected citizens, such as accidental witnesses, there are also local organizations and non-governmental organizations that actively provide emotional counseling and seminars to affected residents. Residents provide support.
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